Have you ever watched families in your museum and noticed that one person is totally engaged while someone else is completely checked out? In this episode of the Modern Museum Education Podcast, we’re breaking down exactly how to design museum programs that work for kids and adults at the same time.

We are moving way beyond just slapping a coloring sheet on a side table with a powerful program design shift that helps you create true collaborative family learning experiences, even if you are working with a tight, scrappy museum budget and zero dedicated children's spaces.

What you’ll discover:

• A breakdown of the nine principles of intergenerational collaborative learning.
• The secret to “layering content” so different age groups get different information at the exact same time.
• Easy "object-to-self" prompts you can use on guided tours tomorrow to get families talking.

Stop stressing over a lack of space and start building programs that activate the entire group. Head over to modernmuseumeducation.com to grab the full show notes, explore our budget-friendly museum-ready materials, or join the conversation in our free Telegram community, the Engagement Lab!

For the full show notes and resources mentioned in this episode, head to modernmuseumeducation.com/how-to-design-museum-programs-for-kids-and-adults.

Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode

• Join the Engagement Lab: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/lab
• Find out how to partner with Rachel to improve your museum programs
• Research Referenced:
  • The U.S.S. Constitution Museum’s Engage Families Project https://engagefamilies.org/
• You can find all the books I recommend on this podcast on my Bookshop.org Podcast Recommendations & Resources List

Related Episodes and Blog Posts

• Episode 21: How to Foster Family Engagement in Museums
• Episode 6: Finding What’s Personal in a Museum

Ways I Can Help You

• Custom Made Museum Education Program Materials: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/museum-ready-materials
• Museum Education Professional Development: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/frontline-focus-workshops
• Museum Education Program Evaluation & Design: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/full-program-design

Connect with Rachel

• Email: rachel@modernmuseumeducation.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelegibson/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/modernmuseumed
• Website: www.modernmuseumeducation.com